§ Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Food the amount of the current subsidies on animal feedingstuffs, with details of the Government purchase prices of oilcakes and other feedingstuffs and the prices charged to farmers.
§ Mr. StracheyThe average cost of the principal imported feedingstuffs on a landed cost basis (including Ministry overheads) for the financial year 1947–48 is estimated as follows:
Per ton £ s. d. Maize 23 16 0 Barley 31 7 0 Oats 22 4 0 Wheat offals 18 19 0 Maize products 21 12 0 Oilcakes and meals 39 0 0 Rice bran 19 12 0 Locust beans 24 0 0 Oilcakes and meals produced at home from imported oilseeds are estimated to cost on the average 22 5 0 Subsidies on these and other minor imported feedingstuffs for the year 1947–48 are estimated to amount to about £26,000,000. In addition there is a subsidy on home-grown barley used as feedingstuffs, estimated to amount to some £3,000,000. There are also subsidies on by-products from the manufacture of human food used as feedingstuffs, mainly wheat by-products, the amount of which is estimated to be in the region of £3,500,000.
The prices charged to farmers for feedingstuffs are as laid down in the Feeding Stuffs (Maximum Prices) Order, 1946, S.R. & O. 1261, as amended by S.R. & O.s, 1947, Nos. 308, 638, 1502, 1871, 2309 and 2385.